


Found family

by Theirmajesty2139



Category: Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, abusive Leland hawkins, comfort writing, mention of csa, standing up to your abuser
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29800785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theirmajesty2139/pseuds/Theirmajesty2139
Summary: In a universe where Jim Hawkins' father is abusive as well as neglectful. How far will Silver go to help his favourite boy heal?This is therapeutic writing for me. I am dealing with my own childhood trauma and trying to heal through my characters.
Relationships: Jim Hawkins & John Silver
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	Found family

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR OVERARCHING THEMES AND IMPLIED CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT. please tread carefully I don’t want anyone to be hurt by something I have created

"Didn’t yer' pap ever teach you how to pick yer' fights?"  
"…"  
"…yer' father not the teachin' sort?"

I knew that conversation had peaked Silver's interest. My silence must’ve set alarm bells off inside his head but he knew when to drop it and let me be.  
Weeks later an impulse decision that boarded somewhere between bravery and stupidity had me taking his hand and agreeing to his offer. We rode away from the Legacy in a tiny ship, the entire universe stretching before us.  
With the cool steel of his robotic hand on my shoulder I felt invincible. 

The first place I took him was back to the wreckage of the Benbow inn and to my mother. We handed over the money we had stashed away and I fell back into my mothers arms. She peppered my face with tearful kisses, proclaiming her pride at the man I had become. Morph zipped over and chattered in her face, waiting to be petted, my mother lovingly obliged. Last I introduced Silver who stood a little away, human eye turned up as though embarrassed. She thanked him for caring for her boy which seemed to lessen his shyness and he barked out a laugh, recounting stories of the trouble I had caused.  
She cried again when I told her we were leaving, that I had to find myself and I would be safe under Silver's care. I gave her a remote communication device which I had named a beeper and told her that if she pressed the button it would connect her to me no-matter where in the galaxy I ended up.  
She wiped her tears and took the device before patting my shoulder and sending us on our way again with promises that when the inn was again completed we would have a home. 

Our adventure began, we went anywhere and everywhere in search of our fortune. We upgraded our ship, staying small enough to control between us but we no longer had to sleep beneath the stars on cold nights, our cabin kept warm by the kitchen below deck. Silver cooked every night for us and fed morph our scraps. My heart was full.  
After my first few months away my mother stopped calling so often, only checking in each month and updating me on business at the new and improved Benbow inn so my surprise was obvious when my beeper shook me awake, it’s vibrations rattling it from its place at my side. I groaned, eyes bleary and sat up in my hammock. Across the room I heard Silver stir and I quietly shuffled out onto the deck. Morph, who was keeping watch coming to greet me.  
"Mom? It’s the middle of the night." I yawned. "Is everything okay?"  
"Jim, I’m sorry to wake you but you have to come home." Her voice shook. "I-it’s about your father. He’s back."

I lose my breath as the connection drops. My whole body is shaking. We were on course to the cloud Nebula, it would take us at most two days to return to Montressor but it feels like lightyears away.  
What do I do? Should I wake Silver?  
Instead I head up into the shrouds, sitting in the net and looking out at the night sky. Just like that my perfect vision of my future disappears and I’m left empty.  
"Jimbo?" Silvers gruff voice speaks from behind me. "What are ya doing, lad?"  
My jaw is set tight and my hands have balled themselves into fists.  
"We have to change course." I speak through clenched teeth, trying to keep myself from breaking.  
"Belay that, come down here before ya catch yer death of cold. This ol' cyborg leg of mine can’t get all the way up there."  
I sigh, knowing he won’t stop badgering me until I do what he says. I swing out of the shrouds and land with a thump on the deck.  
"There’s a good lad. Now, come downstairs and I’ll put on some stew to warm ya up. We can talk about why you’re so desperate to change our course." He wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me below deck to where a fire still blazes, a hanging pot filled with stew above it.  
I sit down at the wooden bench and soak in it’s warmth, only now feeling the cold which has found it’s way into my bones.  
Silver hums as he sets out two steaming mugs, eyes fixed on me and looking a little concerned.  
"Drink up lad." He encourages and I stare at the table, unable to move. He huffs out a sigh. "Okay... What happened Jimbo? I’ve never seen ya so upset."  
I shake my head. "I can’t."  
"Ya can’t what, boy?"  
I breathe deep before wrapping my hands around the mug, letting it burn my skin.  
"I got a call from Mom. She needs me back home. She said my father came back and wants to speak with me." I force the words up past my dry throat and spit them into the air.  
"Yer-…" He pauses, a knowing look in his eyes. "Ya wanna see him?"  
I shake my head. "No b-but if he’s back I want to know why. I can’t ever live there again if he’s there. It can’t be my home."  
I bite back the tears which threaten to spill over.  
"Ah lad." Silver sits beside me, one hand carding soothingly through my hair.  
"She needs me there but-" I pause, breath catching. "I don’t know how I’m going to survive seeing his face again." My whole body shakes with the effort of keeping myself together.  
He pauses before speaking grimly. "What did he do to you, lad?"

I cry in his arms as he listens to my story, his grip becoming tighter around me as I express each lurid detail after keeping it all in my head for so long. He’s the first person I’ve let in on my secret, the reason I wake in cold sweats most nights, the true cause of my aversion to touch.  
"…Even after everything it still hurt when he left us. It took me forever to stop blaming myself and I still haven’t stopped hurting. Now I’ve got to see him again and I- I don’t know what to do."  
I press my face into his chest, seeking comfort from his warmth and scent.  
"Oh Jimbo..." he pets my hair. "I don’t know wha to say, I’m sorry lad."  
I sigh, rubbing my eyes. "What do I do, Silver?"  
"Yer such a strong boy, yer going to face this and I’m coming with ya. A little diversion in our course ain’t a problem. We’ll be back on track in no time."  
He keeps his voice jovial and I know it’s for my benefit. I look up from my place in his shirt and meet his gaze.  
He pats me on the back. "Alright lad, back to bed with yah. I’ll set our way."  
I cling to him, fingers clutching tightly to his shirt like a frightened child.  
"I don’t know if I can sleep after this. C-can I stay with you?"  
He sighs and smiles. "Of course, boy. Whatever ya need."

I crawl into Silver’s bed, the cotton sheets soothing on my skin and the cold starts to seep away. I lay down and wait for Silver to come back. He sent me back to our cabin while he set the route to guide us back to montressor.  
The heat is momentarily sucked from the room as Silver swings the door open and steps back inside. He shucks off his coat and tosses it onto a hanger, returning to just his baggy white sleep shirt and striped shorts.  
"All set, we’ll be back home In no less than two days. I’ve got you, boy, don’t you worry."  
He drops himself onto the rickety bed, the mattress creaking under his weight. He pulls the cover up over him before disconnecting his metal leg beneath the covers. I avert my gaze, knowing that he is bashful of his missing limbs. The metal parts hit the wooden floor with a clunk and he sighs.  
"Ah, thats'a better. Y'alright lad?"  
I lean against him, laying in the crook of his human arm. "Dunno, Silver. I have too many feelings. I’m sorry" I whisper.  
"Don’t ya be sorry about a thing, boy. We’ll get this sorted out. I promised yer Ma' that I’ll keep ya safe and I’m a man of me word."  
He lifts the candle which sits by his bed. "Do ya want this put out?"  
I shake my head. "Not tonight. I don’t know if I can go back to sleep. Tell me a story?"  
He laughs "what? Ye want a lullaby?"  
I snort. "No, I mean like you used to on the legacy...About your adventures. A real story."  
His smile is kind and he settles in. "'Course I can, Lad. Now, did I ever tell ya about the time I fought on a six legged giant squid in search of the crabs' treasure?"  
I shake my head.  
"Well then, settle in because I’ve got a tale for you..."

Leland Hawkins is a man. He’s just a man, not a monster.  
I repeat these words under my breath as I step onto the boardwalk almost thirty hours later. Silver rests a hand on my shoulder, keeping me grounded and safe.  
"Ya okay, boy?" Silvers voice grumbles and I try to blink myself back into reality.  
"I don’t know. What- what if I can’t do this?"  
I sigh and keep walking when the hand on my shoulder tightens. I’m pulled to a stop and gently turned around to face the old cyborg.  
He bends at the knee, struggling to get to eye level with me.  
"You’ve got this, Jimbo. You burn like a solar flare and yer unstoppable, ya hear me? We’re gonna show that no-good cad how strong ya are."  
My smile is soft and unsure but it seems to satisfy Silver and he claps me on the shoulder and we continue our walk up the dock and toward the Benbow inn.  
My mother runs from the house when she sees us approach and pulls me hard into a tearful hug. When I pull away I notice the dark circles that line her eyes and the slivers of silver in her hair.  
"Hey, Mom..." I mutter, one hand creeping up to anxiously scratch the back of my head.  
"It’s good to see you, Jim. I’m sorry to call the two of you back so suddenly. It’s a pleasure as always, mr Silver."  
Silver tips the brim of his hat but says nothing, waiting for us to address the situation.  
"What’s going on, mom? Why is he-" I trail off.  
She sighs. "He heard about the voyage, saw your name mentioned in the papers and came home. He says he has to see you, wants to..." She pauses, grimacing. "Reconnect."  
I run a hand over my face and unconsciously take a step towards Silver.  
"Well I’m not interested. Can you tell him that for me?"  
Her eyes shine. "I did, honey. He accused me of poisoning you against him, of keeping his son away from him. He’s refusing to leave until the two of you speak."  
Silver growls under his breath and I sigh, bracing myself. "Okay. Where is he?"  
"In the bar. Mr Silver, if you have other business you may-"  
"No!" I cut her off, instinctively gripping the tail of Silver's tattered coat. "He stays with me."  
My mother looks wary but sighs. "Alright then, if that’s fine with you, Mr Silver?"  
Silver smiles, human eye watching me intently.  
"‘Course it is, Sarah! I’d do anything for this here lad."  
My mother smiles. "Come this way then."  
She leads us into the sparsely populated bar, groups of people sit at tables, drinking and laughing. The familiar buzz would’ve made me feel safe in any other situation.  
"Leland?" My mother calls, voice tight as we approach the wooden bar. A man sits in the centre on a stall and turns at the sound of his name. He has a metal flask clutched in his hand and he quickly takes a messy gulp before facing us dead on.  
He’s just as tall as I remember, maybe a little thinner with pale hair tinged with grey. He smiles, teeth displayed and I feel my skin crawl.  
"James!" His voice booms and he holds out one arm to me. I steel myself, suppressing the desire to flinch.  
"It’s Jim." I push my words through gritted teeth, unable to meet his eyes.  
He scowls. "Now, is that any way to greet your old man after so long?"  
My mother steps between us, strained smile on her lips. " Why don’t the two of you take this into the day room? There’ll be no customers there."  
I look towards her with pleading eyes, wanting desperately to keep the comfort of a public place but she’s already ushering us through the door in order to appease her patrons.  
I feel Silver take hold of my shoulder and follow behind as we head into the back room. Leland is already sitting at the table before the fire. His frown deepens when he sees Silver at my side.  
"And who are you?" He asks, sneering.  
Silver remains quiet but holds the man's gaze, cybernetic eye looking him up and down.  
I turn the conversation. "What do you want?"  
He huffs, top lip still curled. "Nice to see you too, son." He says sarcastically. "Is it a crime to wanna see my kid? Papers say you’re some kinda big-shot but according to your mother you’ve run off on some fool’s errand, galavanting with pirates. I knew she wasn’t strong enough to raise you alone."  
I bristle. "Shut up! Don’t you dare say anything about mom after you left us here. She’s done everything she can." I know I’m shouting but I can’t stop myself.  
He laughs, eyes glinting with amusement.  
"It’s alright, James. Your Pops is back, you can drop all this nonsense."  
"No! I- I came here to tell you to leave. I never want to see you again after what you did."  
He snorts, looking incredulous. "All this because I took off? Kid, I-"  
"No. Not that, before that. You know exactly what you did to me."  
I can’t stop the lump that forms in my throat and soon I’m choking on my tears. "I-I was just a kid and you-..." My whole body shakes with rage and betrayal. "Why did you do it, dad?"  
He goes very quiet before his eyes flash. "What are you crying about? I never did anything to you. Accusing me of something so disgusting is low even for you." He growls.  
I suddenly can’t speak and I heave into the silence when the clunk of metal has me looking up. Silver steps forward, eyes burning with violence and angrier than I’ve ever seen him.  
"Listen here you rotten, scabby lump of sea bass. Are ya seriously tryin to say the boy is lying? Look at him!"  
He gestures furiously in my direction. "I ought to rip out yer innards and feed them to the pigs for what you did to this lad. You are scum fit for the bilge rats, you hear? Scum!"  
Leland stands up, trying to square himself against Silver who looms a head above him and is clearly a great deal heavier.  
"I don’t know which gutter you crawled from or who you think you are but you don’t get to tell me what to do with my son! I’m his father and I’ll do whatever I-"  
The room drops into silence as Silver's metal arm wraps tightly around Leland’s throat. He growls low and fierce, both eyes glowing.  
"You. Are not his Father. Do you understand? That is not a title you get after what you did to this lad! It’s something you earn and you never get that."  
Leland pushes him back hard and stumbles away.  
"And what, you do? I don’t know what game you’re playing but I am his father whether he likes it or not."  
Silver grunts. "No, I’m not his Pa but I love him like he was my blood and that’s damn more than you’ve ever done. I will die before I let ya put another finger on this lad, hear me?"  
Leland snorts attempting to rub away the finger shaped bruises that line his neck, still cocky as ever.  
"James." He addresses me from my place against the wall. "Stop your blubbering and be a man. Tell this pirate that he ain’t your father. We can settle anything else as a family."  
He shoots a glance at Silver, thinking that he’s won and for a moment I’m sure he’s right. My body sags into a limp submission like when I was small and I dip my head, rubbing my tears away with my fist.  
My whole body shakes as my mind and heart fight against the terror inside me that says to do as I’m told.  
If I told Silver to leave would he really go?"  
With every second that passes I feel my future slipping away, everything I worked for turning to stardust before my eyes and I can’t remember how to stop it.  
Then I look up and my eyes burn with determination and anger. I’m not that little boy anymore and he can’t make me do anything. It’s time i took back what he stole from me so many years ago.  
"But he is though." My voice is soft but carries easily through the room.  
"What?" Both men appear to speak in tandem, three human eyes blinking at me.  
"Silver is my family. He’s been more of a dad to me than you ever have. You might be my father but he’s the one who helped me grow up and I love him. I’d never give that up for you. I want you out of the inn and back out of my life."  
My breath is ragged and I lean against Silver's arm as he ruffles my hair.  
"There’s a good lad." He huffs before turning back to my father, smile dropping. "I believe tha boy has spoken."  
Leland's brain appears to lag for a second before spluttering back into action.  
"I- I am not leaving. I paid for my room here, Sarah would never even have this hovel if it weren’t for me. I’ll take what I’m owed!"  
His voice raises but with Silver's hand on my shoulder I don’t feel the need to flinch.  
I fish in my jacket pocket for a bag of coins and fling it In his direction.  
"Here. We have more gold than we know what to do with. There’s enough in that pouch for passage on a ship and lodgings at another inn. Go somewhere far, I don’t want to see your face again."  
His expression changes as he weighs the bag, listening to the gold clink inside. "I don’t know, James. Before I came back here I had myself a crew. With all those winnings of yours you might be inclined to toss your old man another coin so he can keep himself away comfortably?"  
Silver growls, hackles rising beneath his heavy coat and with surprising speed he lunges at the other man, pinning him to the wall with his human hand, claws digging into his flesh while his cyborg arm whirs and a butcher knife springs free in place of a hand.  
"Aye, you listen closely matey. Jimbo here is being mighty generous. If I had me way you wouldn’t be leaving with both yer legs. Now yer gonna walk your sorry backside onto a ship and disappear. If I ever see yer ugly mug about here again or get a whiff that you’ve been within a galaxy of my boy I’ll hang you by yer guts from my mast and keep yer dirty, interfering hands as a trophy and believe you me I’m a man of my word."  
He holds the blade against Leland's collarbone and the fear in his eyes is apparent. It’s the first time I’ve seen him look so weak.  
Silver scoffs before dropping the man and allowing him to catch his breath before turning back to me.  
"Come along laddie. Let’s get back to morph and our ship. I’m sure that by the time we be returning tonight this interloping whelp will be scarce."  
With Silver's arm slung over me we leave the benbow with promises to return for supper. 

I flop onto Silver's bed as soon as we get back to the cabin and playfully push morph away as he butts at my cheek, chirping gleefully.  
I sigh, feeling light for the first time in days. Maybe now things can be different.  
"So tired you can’t even make it into ya own hammock, boy?"  
Silvers voice hums from the doorway and I shrug.  
"I supposed you wouldn’t mind after everything." His laugh is a soft rumble. "Don’t mind a bit. Budge over so an old cyborg can take a seat?"  
I huff in mock annoyance before rolling closer to the edge so that he can drop down with a heavy thump on the mattress.  
"Good lad..." he mutters and tugs me under one of his arms. "Ye did well today, Jimbo. Made me proud."  
I grin up at him. "Yeah?"  
"Don’t you doubt it, what you did was nothin short of magnificent. There’s something special in you, lad. I saw it when I met you and I see it now. You got power to rival the sun and when you shine oh the universe better be ready!"  
He pauses smiling as his voice softens. "Don’t you ever let what that man did to you get in your way. You are so much more than him. You’re my boy and gawd am I lucky for it because Jim Hawkins won’t be forgotten, I promise you that.  
I close my eyes, head resting on the round curve of his stomach. My future feels solid again. With his supporting hand on my arm there’s nothing we can’t do. 

I feel invincible.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading  
> If anyone has anything at all to say my comments are open and so is my inbox on Tumblr.


End file.
